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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. land — a country
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — to come down
  13. rest — a break
  14. fall — the season
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. content — the amount
  22. land — ground
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com